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Mad City Dream Homes Real Estate Blog, Madison WI

The spring market is the best market for sellers in Madison. Specifically the months of March, April and May are the three months when buyer activity is strongest. Take a look below at our MLS data from calendar year 2017, which shows the number of accepted offers for every month of the year. Accepted offers peaked in the month of May, which is a typical pattern for our market.

How does this seasonal pattern impact the sale of your home?

If your house is listed for sale right now, you need to know your home is worth more in the month of May than it will be in the months of June or July. That's because the spring market is an overheated market that gives sellers the clear advantage. In June, the market will shift, and buyers and sellers will

Last December, Madison was ranked #1 in a list of the Best Cities for Running. The ranking was done by the website Smart Asset.

The ranking cites 88 annual races, 59 gyms, pedestrian safety and broad interest in fitness as reasons for the ranking. We agree that the Madison area is a great place for runners (and overall fitness). Take a look at several races available in the next month:

Saturday, April 28: 37th Annual Crazylegs Classic: Named for former Wisconsin Athletics Director Elroy Hirsch, the Crazylegs Classic raises funds to support UW Athletics. The 2 mile walk or 8k run take place downtown. The race begins at 10 a.m. at the corner of State and Carroll Streets. There's still time to register!

This year is proving to be another hot seller's market for owners of single family homes and condos in the Madison area. Here's our latest update on how inventory, prices, and other key measures are performing though March and April of 2018.

April 2018 Inventory

Condo supply continues to run lower and lower in the city of Madison. This graph shows inventory is now at a new low, having decreased from 2.4 months in April of 2016, to 1.3 months if April of 2017, to only 1 month in April of 2018.

Single family home supply is even lower, having decreased from 1.3 months to only .8 months over the last two years.

March New Listings

We expect persistently low inventory throughout all of 2018. New condo listings were a scarce

If your goal is to become a successful real estate agent, there's no doubt you need to grow and nurture your database. Just as important, you need a solid business plan. What is a real estate business plan? Within our team, it's each agent's individual approach for growing their pipeline of future clients. In this real estate careers post, we share our suggestions for creating a good business plan, using one agent's real life plan as an example.

An example of a good real estate business plan

These last few months we've been chatting with an experienced agent from another market. She'll be relocating to Madison soon, where she'll be resuming her career in real estate. Starting over in a brand new market would be a mountain-sized challenge for

Prairie Moraine County Park in Verona is one of the most heavily-used parks in Dane County, especially since the establishment of an off-leash dog exercise area in 1995.

On the surface, this 160-acre park is a beautiful place to hike and take in expansive views of the area. But dig a little deeper into its past, and you're likely to treasure each step a bit more.

It started taking shape when the last glacier retreated and left a ridge of debris called the Johnstown Moraine, which is the prominent feature on the northern end of the park. Now, the Ice Age National Scenic Trail follows nearly a mile of this terminal moraine, which sits above St. Peter sandstone bedrock. The trail travels through a restored oak savanna and prairie toward an

So far this year we've had clients receive offers for $13,000 above, $14,000 above, $23,000 above, and an amazing $31,000 above the list price. This is in addition to several other sellers who've received offers for between $5,000 and $10,000 above the list.

These offers didn't happen by accident

All were the result of marketing plans designed to attract multiple offers. As we shared in these two success stories, a key part of our strategy is to allow 4 to 5 days of showings before responding to any written offers. This timeline gives all interested buyers enough time to schedule their showings, research the neighborhood, and submit their offer to purchase.

Allowing 4 to 5 days of showings gives sellers the psychological advantage, too. When

From indoor herb gardens to raised vegetable beds in the backyard, there are a variety of ways to grow tasty produce. To find out which option is right for you, consider heading to your local library. In addition to offering many books on the topic, some libraries are also holding gardening programs in April. Be sure to follow the links and register, especially for the planting sessions.

What: Plant a Salsa Garden: A Family Earth Day EventWhen: 6 p.m. Monday, April 16Where: Middleton Public Library, 7425 Hubbard Ave. MiddletonInfo: Families can plant seeds for tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, and onions using peat pellets and pots so you can plant the whole container in the ground when the weather warms up.

We're excited to see our team earning so many rave reviews on Zillow and our Google Business Page. At a time when so many web reviews are crafted for marketing purposes, we appreciate so many of you (our clients) taking time to share your genuine feedback. Thanks to all of you who have shared your real experiences online. It motivates us to keep doing what we're doing and to to keep getting better. We're extremely grateful and we thank you for your support!

Recent reviews of Mad City Dream Homes

Here are just a few of the recent reviews we've received in 2018.

For Chris Venden

"This is the second time we’ve used Chris as our realtor & we couldn’t be happier!! She’s an awesome lady, hard worker, and good friend. We will continue to use her

The weather outside may seem more like winter, but for many, the return of the Dane County Farmer's Market signals a welcome change. The market continues year-round, but will return to the Capitol Square on Saturday. The forecast may call for cooler than average temperatures, but the opening of the market gives us hope that spring is really coming.

Perusing the market is a popular tradition around town, and there's much to appreciate about a market that is now more than 40 years old. The Dane County Farmer's Market is the nation's largest producers-only farmer's market. Sellers must apply to participate, and must demonstrate that their products are grown or created in Wisconsin. A wait list to get into this market is available (although it can take a

You are ready to sell, and you want to get the best price possible. This means showing your home at its best. We suggest a few simple updates that can be done both quickly and affordably. Take a look at our list of 5 simple ways to increase your home's market value without breaking the bank. All five of these recommendations are low cost items that provide a high return on investment.

Step 1: Hire a Professional Home Stager

In real estate, first impressions mean everything. A professional will help you stage your home so buyers fall in love with it when they first view it online. Depending on your needs, your stager will also recommend new paint colors, new flooring, and new light fixtures which dramatically improve your home's mass appeal. If